Fans are starting to believe.
Two weeks ago, the Browns were 0-2 and had just traded one of their best players.
Instead of going into the tank, which was predicted league-wide, they came together as a team.
After their 17-6 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns are 2-2 and in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC North Division.
Remember, this was against a team that pundits said might have the best overall talent in the AFC.
“There’s a great vibe on this team right now,” Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger said.
The fans are buying into the team, largely because of the defense. It’s legit, most notably the front seven.
The Browns held the Bengals to 63 yards rushing and 3.2 yards per carry.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention lock-down cornerback Joe Haden. He shut down Bengals Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green to the tune of seven catches for 51 yards.
Haden has been spectacular in the first four games. He just throws a blanket over the opposing team’s top receiver. It’s a nice luxury for a defense to have.
“It’s my personal opinion, but I think he’s the best cornerback in the league,” Browns safety Tashaun Gipson said.
With the pressure the front seven applies on the quarterback — the Bengals’ Andy Dalton was sacked twice, but pressured several times — coupled with the way the secondary is defending, it makes for a dominating performance.
The Bengals amassed just 266 total yards and didn’t get in the end zone. They scored 34 points in a win over Super Bowl contender Green Bay last week.
The players didn’t fret when the front office dealt running back Trent Richardson to the Colts.
“We kept our heads up,” Browns outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo said. “We knew we could play dominant football. Now, we’ve put it together and we’re winning ball games.
“We knew what we had in this room. We just had to get it moving in the right direction.”
The Browns’ offense got it moving in the right direction in the fourth quarter when it moved 91 yards on 12 plays for the game-clinching touchdown. Brian Hoyer — finally a quarterback the fans have faith in — capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Chris Ogbonnaya.
“Our confidence level (in Hoyer) is through the roof,” Browns wide receiver Davone Bess said. “He’s a winner. He’s a good passer. The coaches do a good job of giving him the game plan.”
Hoyer completed his first nine passes. He finished 25 of 38 for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He had a passer rating of 103.9.
Browns coach Rob Chudzinski refused to name Hoyer his starter for the Buffalo game on Thursday. Regardless, if he keeps playing like he has been, we might not see Brandon Weeden again.
“Certainly, he’s been the spark I had hoped for and has led us to wins in the last two games,” Chudzinski said.
The Browns are brimming with confidence heading into the Bills game.
For the first time in years, the Browns could be a factor in the division. Kruger doesn’t want to hear about past failures.
“This is my first year here,” he said. “That really doesn’t matter what happened last year or three years ago. We don’t want to get too high on ourselves. We just want to keep building.”
As Kruger was talking, Browns CEO Joe Banner was going around the room shaking hands with the players. Banner, Browns general manager Michael Lombardi and Chudzinski might know what they’re doing after all.
The fans are certainly starting to believe.

Advertisement

About the Author

Bob has covered the Cavs for The News-Herald and Morning Journal since 1995. He's a graduate of Kent State University and New Philadelphia High School. Reach the author at rfinnan@morningjournal.com
or follow Bob on Twitter: @BobCavsInsider.